Web Letters: Anti-War Lessons From New Hampshire

A good article, but Obama worries me because he has too many Clinton people advising him. I would be happier with Edwards if he mentioned tariffs, or pulling out of the WTO and NAFTA like Kucinich. Threatening the multinationals with anti-trust legislation would be a real progressive step in the right direction. As for working with Bush, you don't work with trash! You put it in the garbage can!

While he is not perfect, I am going to vote for Kucinich. It may be the last time I will vote as a Democrat.

Pervis J. Casey

Riverside, CA

HillBillary (Bill & Hillary) is a Republican. The DLC Democrats are the Democratic Party branch of the Republican Party. Hillary refuses to call herself a liberal--disdains it, in fact, and I've seen her do so on TV. She cannot win an election without the liberal wing of the Democratic party. She has a failed election strategy, counting on 24 percent of Republican women to vote for her to win. She is catering more to Republican women than she is to Liberal Democrats. The DLCers have only ever won two elections, Bill, and never received 50 percent of votes. The DLC claimed credit, as any bad Republican would, for the 2006 successes, which would have been greater without their consultants running the show.

Ken Lusk

Clayton , GA

Mr. Hayden's article is right on and to the point. I believe, however, that he omits a related point, which is that the candidates are trying to win the nomination. Hillary is also looking ahead to the general election.

A lot of anti-war people take issue with Hillary because they feel she will continue the war. Perhaps Hayden should have a heart-to-heart talk with her. I believe she will begin the withdrawal, which will not jeopardize American lives.

Don't be too harsh on her because she is trying to not be labeled as liberal. She is succeedeing so far, and Obama has now got the label of liberal.

Final thought, Obama says he will unite the country. President Bush says this too, but so far Obama has managed to divide the Democratic Party, stir up the racial question, stir up the generation gap and the gender gap. That's a very good start for uniting the country, don't you think?

John L. Cerrato

Rockville Centre, NY

The tragic events of 1968 ultimately led to the disillusionment and eventual dissolution of the American left. Jerry Rubin headed for Wall Street, as did many baby-boomers, including Hillary--who hasn't left there since. She is a total and complete Korporate puppet, and she will probably win the nomination. Once again, there will be no choice.

John Giarratana

Jersey City, NJ

Who said that the Democrats are not full of… teamwork.

Somewhere between Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary, Hillary Clinton realized that she is for "change" and denounced the training and experience she gained in the current corrupted political system in Washington. Simply said, she adopted Obama’s mantra. On his part, Mr. Barack brings to the table one America, hopeful, positive and united, the same way Mr. Edwards tried to win his party nomination four years ago. In the meantime, Edwards moved to embrace a strong opposition to the Iraq War, globalization and a corporate greed.

That is the way Mr. Kucinich voted in the US Congress many years ago. The question is how Kucinich was rewarded for his powerful vision, excellent analytical abilities and the personal courage to tell the truth when everybody else felt it wasn’t politically opportune to say it. He got almost 1 percent of the votes in New Hampshire.

We should blame our educational system for any wrong choice we make. We have to understand there is a two-pronged educational infrastructure in the modern world--the classic school system and the omnipresent media outlets that have encroached upon our most private corners like our living rooms, family rooms or bedrooms. While our schools are more or less correct, our media outlets are extremely political. It means our journalists and editors are to blame for the catastrophic situation.

Just think about the Des Moines Register's decision to exclude Congressmen Kucinich from a debate in Iowa. The reason is that Mr. Kucinich couldn’t have afforded to rent some campaign office and hire two locals to staff it.

It means the US media position is that if you don’t have money, you are not qualified to run for the White House, regardless of the perfect voting record and wisdom Mr. Kucinich displayed while performing his Congressional duties.

No media had a problem with this kind of awkward encroachment upon our civil liberties. It is a modern-day equivalent to an ancient clause that the people were not qualified to vote unless they had a property registered to their name. After the Des Moines Register first crossed the red line, ABC was more than happy to exclude Mr. Kucinich from a televised New Hampshire debate.

The important thing is that it is absolutely irrelevant whether Kucinich could be elected or not. The crucial part is whether the principles he promotes would be present at the table when the strategic decisions are being made. It is obvious from what I said at the beginning that if somebody else clears a path through the minefields, the mainstream politicians are willing to follow after the danger has gone. Without Mr. Kucinich at the table, there is nobody else to discuss some fundamental principles like what a reason is that the pre-emptive Iraqi War runs longer than WWII. (The problem with a pre-emptive war is that the need for pre-emption never ends.)

Kenan Porobic

Charlotte, NC

Or, people like Tom Hayden, who write so beautifully and on-point, should merely mention the name of the only candidate left in the race who has been feverishly working to end this war since before it started.

Kucinich, abandoned by his rightful supporters, seems to be wandering alone through a blizzard of endless political insanity.

I'm not delusional; I'm just pointing out that maybe if everyone who agreed with Kucinich gave him some public acknowledgment not followed by the word "unelectable" he might muster enough credibility to be more closely associated with not seeing WMDs than with seeing UFOs.

I suppose I am not being practical, however, in assuming that a human could be President.

Ryan Croken

Chicago, IL

Hey, All You Libs! Maybe this is a novel thought... how about if we kill all the terrorists? Isn't that a new thought? Any people from the UK will maybe get this picture. When the IRA blew up the Queen's Guard, they took off the kid gloves, and started killing all people who were involved with the atrocity. Didn't matter who they were, How old they were, or who they knew. They were dead! And guess what, the IRA is no longer a viable organization... huh...? If we started to do this, and by the way, we pay a lot of money to train our killers (Seals, Greens, Hallo, Swimmmers etc.), put our guys to work, we may solve this puzzle.

And for good measure, why don't we start the draft again, and maybe we can flood the countries with the "Flower of our Youth," and then get some of our respect back. You know we are going to get hit again. Why don't we start now?

Bill Nigh

Riverside, CA

Sen. Clinton does not have to select Wesley Clark if she wins the nomination. If Democrats are looking for an aggressive VP choice, rather than one taking Valium, why not Sen. Jim Webb? He's been giving the GOP fits over the war and knocked off tobacco-spittin' and pigskin tossin' with US Sen. David Vitter--who wanted to share the message of family values with all the hookers who could solicit.

Bernard Baker

Danville, VA